Postpartum Fashion Tips
Why Buying Clothes That Fit You Postpartum is the Best Self-Love Move You Can Make?
Incase you needed an excuse to go shopping - I got you boo. Keep reading for some empowering fashion tips.
Let’s be real for a sec— it can be a rocky journey to embrace the newness of the curves, lines and scars of our postpartum bodies. Bounce back culture is so toxic it has us believing if we do not fit our old jeans asap that we have failed someone, or failed everyone and its just all around awful. I also felt that some of the posts stating ‘embrace your body wholly’ were almost too far gone the opposite direction and completely neglecting the drive for any autonomy or doing the things that make us feel strong or beautiful. I felt stuck in the void recovering from the hostile whiplash society gives us going from celebrating the bump to the postpartum era.
I think all postpartum bodies are amazing, fierce, they have done something completely magical: they grew a whole human! But, if your body, like mine, doesn’t “bounce back” like you thought it would, and you want to feel ✨stunning ✨ while working to a healthier version of yourself I am here to share some tangible tips for fashion and life that you can hang onto in this fragile season.
Number ONE: No (negative) NAKED Mirror Dwelling.
~ Ever. Never ever Bestie. Just don’t. ~
Unless you are staring in the mirror looking at yourself with love and admiration just give yourself a break. Rome was not built in a day. Healing and recovery takes time. When I think back to how I thought about my own body in those first few weeks and months it was nothing less than rude. So my rule is if its turning into a WWE match in my head then it is time to step away and do something else.
I struggled deeply with the sense of loss of my old body because the reality is, we don’t bounce back; we grow, evolve, and change. The goal should shift from focusing on reverting back to the old you, into creating a bold new beautiful version of yourself that is strong AF and dresses to compliment her body - no matter the size.
Self-Love doesn’t just happen. I am by no means a therapist but in this season I want to encourage the self love. I want to encourage you to add in positive affirmations about yourself. Remind yourself of what you are grateful for and of the badass of a human being you are.
Number TWO: Stop Battling with your Closet and Win the War
I know, you’re probably feeling emotional, a bit raw, and looking at your closet like it’s turned against you. But girl, it’s not you—it’s the clothes! Clothes that don’t fit can mess with your head and confidence, making you feel like less. I’m here to tell you that just because your jeans don’t button, it doesn’t mean anything about your worth. Empty the closet, toss what you LOVE and want to wear again into a bin that gets tucked away. Donate or sell the items that you didn’t love in the first place and create a safe space for yourself. You want your clothes that you have access to immediately to be items that actually fit you.
Your Body Deserves to Feel Good Now
We’ve all heard the idea of waiting until we lose the “baby weight” to buy new clothes, but why wait to feel fabulous? Don’t stuff yourself into your pre-baby clothes hoping they’ll magically fit again—let's embrace where you are right now.
Your body has worked hard for you, and it deserves clothes that honour it. Clothes that fit allow you to move, breathe, that don’t choke your uterus and—most importantly—you feel confident in.
The Power of a Bigger Size
Have you ever seen those video’s where someone sizes up and it takes an outfit from looking a little bit like a sausage stuffed in the casing to WOW. That is the power of a proper fit. I want to encourage moms to buy clothes that fit them, not drown, not squeeze the life out you but actually fit. Ignore the tags and be kind to yourself, grab the sizes that fit you.
Commercial Break - not an ad - attached below to further my thoughts and beliefs for you:
I wanted to insert this this iconic scene from EAT PRAY LOVE to remind you that these women are gorgeous but are battling a negative body image. All to often we see gorgeous women hyper focusing on something that nobody is noticing. Your clothes are meant to fit you not the other way around. In this season embrace purchasing items that fit your body and feel beautiful.
Number THREE: The Power Of Angles?
~ Geometry is that you? Are you suddenly useful? Still No. Kk Cool. ~
Now let’s talk angles! The best fashion tips for moms is creating flattering lines to give you a snatched look and a fun little confidence boost. Hilary Rushford, used to have a fashion course that covered a bundle of tips from years of research. I will do my best to summarize the tricks with my own flare that every postpartum mama should know.
1. Create a Waist
(Skip this step in the very, very early postpartum days and please be kind to your tummy until at least a few months down the road.)
Your body needs a horizon that slices across, creating a division of the upper half and lower half. Even if you don’t like the curves trust me you are not doing yourself any favours trying to hide them. Let’s focus our energy on enhancing what we have instead of hiding it.
A waist can be created with:
A belt over a dress,
A fully tucked in shirt,
A partially tucked shirt,
Or any cut that creates a crisp distinction between your top and bottom.
During the earlier days of postpartum I gravitated towards high waisted items because generally speaking you have the best boobs of your life in this season. So highlighting the best assets drew my eyes away from my lower tummy which was definitely an area that I was still healing and not feeling confident about at all.
2. V is for Victory (or Visual Illusion)
Not that everything is about being skinny but this step creates a flattering optical illusion that draws the eye in to an hourglass look. You can create a V-shape using:
V-neckline tops,
Adding jewelry,
Fashionably layering unzipped or open jacket/cardigan will draw the eye in. If you shut the jacket or pull the cardigan all the way across to both armpits the illusion is redacted. I do this when I am nervous or freezing but practicing warm confidence is a habit.
Below are some dorky examples of me following some of the suggestions for creating curated outfits.
3. Embrace the Rainbow 🌈
Here is my two-step recovery process for the mamas hiding-behind-oversized-all-black-clothes 🖤.
Step One: Admit that Black is no longer hiding anything, especially if its your entire wardrobe…
Step Two: Challenge yourself to curate beautiful colour combinations that fit your vibe.
Colors can brighten up not just your outfit but your mood. It’s about bringing that energy back and reminding yourself that you can feel beautiful and have fun with fashion, even if it feels like you’re in survival mode some days.
Let yourself be inspired to dress in a colour palette. To do this you may wish to try to select:
Primary Colour (IE: Your Favourite Shade of Purple),
Complimenting Colours (lighter or darker shades of the primary colour)
Contrasting/Accent Colours - Think what colour falls opposite on the colour wheel or what colour would really make this colour pop? My favourite colour to pair with a blue is a nice bright orange.
You do not, I repeat, do not need to be rigid in the colour selection process. This is not pass/fail with a nasty art teacher. This is postpartum fashion tips to hopefully help guide you towards picking items that feel beautiful and together create a bouquet of colours that fit your Glow Up Era vibe check.
Colour Palette Example:
Primary Colour: Dark Blue, Complimenting Colours: Lighter Blues, Contract/Accent: Orange or the pink for added fun.
Another way to be playful with your wardrobe is to mix patterns and textures. You want to think of mixing plain-Jane with sexy-Sadie or busy with muted. Floral with stripes is a classic example to try.
Remember, it’s not about fitting into clothes—it’s about finding clothes that fit you. Your body has done incredible things, and you deserve to feel proud, not pressured. So, don’t shy away from the mirror, don’t hide behind your husbands oversized sweatshirts (unless that’s your vibe, then you keep rocking those sweatshirts). Find the pieces that make you feel like the strong, radiant woman you are, right now, in this moment.
You’re beautiful. The clothes just need to catch up. 😘
Thanks for staying through to the end of my mini Ted Talk.
What’s your go-to outfit that makes you feel like a baddie? Share your favourites with me on Instagram @MrsLizSenneker, and let’s empower each other on this beautiful journey of self-love and fashion!
